The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-07-07
RUSSIAN CENSORSHIP.
Restrictions to Literary Aspirations In
Russia-The Official Censor.

| In Russia not only the newspapers
and other periodicals, but all books,
upon whatever subject and wherever
printed, must pass under the eye of an
| official censor For the latter purpose
special censure bureau exists. Books
| published in foreign languages
which in Nicholas reign more than
| $50, 900 were imported annually, most
| ly in French and Communicative the
most critical examination. If nothing
| is found Objectionable TO the censor
| the book is allowed to be sold and to
circulate in the public Libraries.
OF late years the importation of
foreign books has greatly diminished.
The disposition 10 foster home talent
and the renown of such authors as
Tourgeuneff, Pushkin, Cool, Lerman-
| tol, and others, have contributed
greatly to this result.
As for the precise rules by which the
censors are guided in determining
what is dangerous and what is not,
that is matter difficult to ascertain.
Strauss, Darwin, Haeckel, Spencer.
and Heine were either prohibited en-
tire, or admitted in ridiculously ex-
purgated editions, while Karl Marks
Capital was pronounced harmless
and admitted.
Books presented to members of the
royal family, ministers, and foreign
ambassadors are not subject to the
condemnation of the censor, but must,
nevertheless, pass through his bureau.
OF the foreign journals circulating in
Russia, some three hundred are adj
mitted, two hundred of which are non
political. The journals subject to
censure are carefully looked over, and
in case an Objectionable article, para
graph, or sentence is discovered,
"caviar censuri" printer's ink) is
stamped upon it, completely obliter-
ating every word from the reader Pc
riodicals of an anti-Russian tendency
are prohibited altogether The books
tabooed are much read however.
Like the Maine restaurateur, most
booksellers in Russia have hidden
| assortment of forbidden wares, which,
to well-knoWn and trusted persons,
they will sell. These books have been
sold to the bookseller by the notable
persons above mentioned, or purchas-
| ed from the censOrs after contiscatiOn,
| which would seem TO be a good thing
for the censors. 1t often happens as
| with Zola's mana" that although re-
| fused admittance in the form of
| book, it reaches the Russian novel
| reader as a translation in the shape of
| a newspaper feuilletOn.
| The number of languages spoken il
| Russia are too numerous to attempt to
mention. OF course, the government
| has its favOrite tongues. The Great
Russian is the official language, and is
the language the ear would be glad to
| hear spoken throughout his vast do
main. Consequently there is an eter-
nal warfare waged against the Ger
| man, Polish, and Little Russian ruth
| inian) languages. The schools are the
instruments employed especially for
| this object, and, indirectly, the CEN
sorship officials.
Even the hard Finnish and Lettish
languages are more favored than these
harmonious and softer tongues of
Southwestern Russia, the object be-
inc, it is claimed by the Germans in
habiting Russia, to keep back the
Swedish and German languages, these
being higher and more dangerous to
the peace OF the country. But the i'll
success of the government in attempt
| ing to in measure suppress the study
| of the Polish language shows with
| what tenacity these patriots cling to
their mother tongue. No Polish pub
LEGATION is permitted to circulate out
side of the Western province, the
Poles of st. Petersburg, numbering
more than SO 900, not being allowed to
read Polish newspaper. In Poland
| the censor is much more tyrannical
| than in Russia proper, which doubt
| less accounts for the remarkable in
| crease III the publication of newspa-
pers and books in the Polish language.
| In Warsaw alone there are ninety
seven journals in a fiourishing condi-
tan (not all in Polish), but mostly
non-political. The political journals
and periodicals are published in Posen
and Galicia, and are rarely admitted
| into Poland.
| Notwithstanding these restrictions,
| the Poles are far more advanced than
the Little Russians. This branch of
the Slays, numbering 100000 900 souls,
are most outrageously treated. With
| fixed determination to exterminate
their language, the government only
| permits the almanacs and prayer
| books to be printed In Little Russian.
! If an author wishes to see his book in
his own language, he must travel u
Austria to have it printed there.
|